Pope Francis Calls Abortion ‘Horrific’
Pope Francis has been a polarizing force in the Catholic community since being elected in 2013. A number of conservative Catholics, especially in well off countries like the United States, have been slightly disappointed in his stance of favouring mercy over condemnation. Even last September during an interview with the Italian Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica, the pope merely shrugged off certain questions and suggested that the Church should re-examine its “obsession” with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality.
The one topic Pope Francis seemed to have been steering clear of was abortion, which many conservatives were accusing the pope of not speaking forcefully enough on the issue.
However, luckily for those conservatives, during his State of the World address, the Pope declared that, “it is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day.”
It is a strong position to take and is in line with the teachings and thoughts of past Popes such as Benedict XVI and the late John Paul II.
Really though, what can we expect? The Church isn’t going to change that drastically just because there is a new Pope. Instead, we should examine the brighter side of things and hope that one day a little more change is sought, especially within an institution that has hardly changed since its inception.
